Herat, Afghanistan – At least 79 people, including 17 children, were killed when an overcrowded bus carrying Afghan refugees, recently expelled from Iran, crashed and caught fire in western Afghanistan on Tuesday night, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The crash occurred on the Herat-Kabul highway, approximately a 30-minute drive outside the city of Herat.
According to Abdul Mateen Qaniee, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, the bus was involved in a collision with a motorcycle and a truck. The impact caused the bus to burst into flames, leaving behind a charred metal skeleton, as shown in video footage from the scene. The victims were on their way from the border to Kabul, as part of a mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Afghans from Iran.
Ahmdullah Muttaqi, head of the information department for Herat’s provincial government, stated that the incident took place late Tuesday night. The Herat province, which shares a border with both Iran and Turkmenistan, has been receiving tens of thousands of deported migrants from Iran.
The tragic incident highlights the dangerous conditions faced by many Afghans as they return to their home country. Traffic accidents are a common occurrence in Afghanistan, largely due to poor infrastructure, a lack of regulation, and dangerous driving practices.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan government, expressed sorrow over the loss of life and called on transportation authorities to conduct a swift investigation. “We urge transportation authorities to provide accurate information about the accident as soon as possible and to share their findings regarding the responsible party,” he said.
The crash underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis involving Afghan refugees, with international organizations reporting that millions of Afghans have been forcibly returned or expelled from neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan in recent years.